Sam Rockwell pays tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman during Oscar win

At Sunday’s 90th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, The Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri star took home the trophy for best actor in a supporting role.

“I’d like to thank the Academy — never thought I’d say those words!” he said. He also thanked his costars, the “formidable” Frances McDormand and “fantastic” Woody Harrelson, as well as recognizing his fellow nominees in the category. “You guys rock, you inspire me, and you always have.”

“My mom and dad’s love of movies became my love of movies — so thank you mom and dad, I love you,” he added, also thanking writer-director Martin McDonagh (“I want to do 10 other movies with you, I love you”), the rest of the film’s cast and crew, “everyone involved in Three Billboards” and “everybody who’s ever looked at a billboard.”

He also paid tribute to the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, ending his speech by saying, “This is for my old buddy Phil Hoffman.”

Backstage after his win, Rockwell elaborated on the shoutout, calling Hoffman an “old friend” and “huge inspiration” for him.

“He was an old friend of mine, and he directed me in a play at the Public Theater, and he was very close to me,” he said of Hoffman. “He was an inspiration to all of my peers… you know, people like Jeffrey Wright, Billy Crudup, Liev Schrieber, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Brolin — I mean, [for] whoever was in my age range, Phil Hoffman was the guy, and he was a great director, and he believed in doing theater. … He inspired me, and I could go on for an hour about Phil Hoffman. Philip Seymour Hoffman was a good friend and he was a huge, huge inspiration on me.”

Reuniting with his Seven Psychopaths director McDonagh, Rockwell starred in Three Billboards as Officer Jason Dixon, a violent and racist cop who finds some redemption in his bloody efforts to help find the killer of Mildred Hayes’ (McDormand) daughter.